Who is Geoffrey Esper? What to know about the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest Contender and #2 eater in the world

A bit of a bummer but something we have to accept, we will not get to watch Joey Chestnut win the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. The No. 1-ranked eater in the world was banned from the contest over a branding and sponsorship dispute with Nathan's and Major League Eating. To not get to see the best in the world is a bummer, to be sure.

However, it's an opportunity for some of the other best in the world in the sphere of competitive eating to make their mark on the world and in this contest in the biggest way they've, frankly, ever had the opportunity to. At the forefront of that is Geoffrey Esper, the biggest challenger to Chestnut in recent years who has fallen short on Coney Island but now the favorite for the 2024 contest.

Because the orbit has so largely been around Chestnut, though, you might not know much about Esper. We're here to give you what you need to know about the 2024 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest favorite.

Who is Geoffrey Esper? Age, hometown, MLE ranking and more

Geoffrey Esper is a 49-year-old and the No. 2-ranked competitive eater in the world according to the MLE rankings and sitting behind only Chestnut. He's from Oxford, MA and has long shown his affinity for Boston sports teams in competitive eating events, often wearing a Boston Red Sox hat at the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest. He is described as "a quiet, industrious man who says very little but eats very much" and that lauded for his humility and character in his MLE competitive eater profile.

Esper's career best in a competitive, official hot dog eating contest is 51 hot dogs.

If you need any reason why he's the No. 2 eater in the world, though, look no further than the records that he's set and holds.

What competitive eating records does Geoffrey Esper hold?

Here are all the MLE recognized records that Geoffrey Esper has set in his illustrious career.

Nearly 10 pounds of SPAM, more than 80 slices of pizza, more than 15 pounds of banana pudding, more than 23 pounds of strawberry shortcake, and two times with more than 280 chicken wings eaten. Esper is a monster when it comes to competitive eating and one of his greatest strengths is his multi-disciplinary approach and ability to thrive in so many different types of contests with substantially different types of food.